


F*** the Moon

by moonlithao



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute Lee Chan | Dino, Fluff and Angst, Fluff to make it gr8, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Minor NU'EST Ensemble, Moon Guardian!Chan, Moon Guardian!Jun, Moon Guardian!Seungcheol, My First AO3 Post, OTHER TAGS WILL BE ADDED DW IM JUST BAD AT TAGGING, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please Don't Hate Me, Slow Build, Slow Burn, This is going to be long, basically college students who can use magic, domestic juncheol, eventually angst, hahahah, how to tag, i think its cool, idk what im doing, junhui is bad at confrontation, minghao isn't an ass i promise, minor Aron Kwak, pls be nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23830918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlithao/pseuds/moonlithao
Summary: Wen Junhui is a Guardian of the Moon, a position he takes very seriously. About to graduate from the Academy (and university), he is given his first mission: find and capture Xu Minghao, a fellow student hell-bent on destroying the moon.
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Teaser

“Shit, I need groceries”, Junhui huffed as he opened his refrigerator to quite the sad sight. "Goddamnit. _"_ Junhui saw his roommate laying on the couch staring at the ceiling.

“Hey Seungcheol, I’m going out for groceries, you need anything specific?” Junhui asked.

“Nah, I’ll just snack on whatever you get”, he responded. As Junhui grabbed his keys on the way out, the chilly weather slammed against his letterman jacket. Shivering, he hurriedly closed the door. 

****

The walk to the store is short, just a few blocks down the city street, but it brings peace to Junhui. He shifted his messenger bag onto his left shoulder to free up his right hand to warm himself up. He snapped his fingers for a simple warmth spell.Just as he was turning the corner, he sees what looked like his target. _No - no, he can’t be here right now._ Then he sees that unmistakable raven hair.

_Xu Minghao._

A three-week search had turned up nothing, yet there he was, outside a damn convenience store in the middle of the city. Honestly, where else would you find a college student. Junhui pulled out his dagger but there were too many people around. He can't risk being caught using magic in public, especially when he hasn't technically graduated from the Academy yet. He looked up from the crowd to look for Minghao again. He finds him and locks eyes with him. Minghao’s eyes widened at the sight of the Guardian’s eyes turning grey. He quickly takes off towards the alley behind the store. Junhui weaves through the pedestrians keeping his dagger in its minimized form. He reaches the alley only to find no one there. _Where the hell did he go?_ he thought. _It’s a dead-end, he can’t have gone far_. Suddenly, as if hit by a car, he’s thrown into the alley wall. Before he can reach for his dagger there’s a cold hand gripping his throat.

The ~~pretty~~ face of Xu Minghao is close enough to count his (lack of) pores. “I heard you were looking for me, Guardian”, Minghao whispers, smirking when he sees the panic in Junhui's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI THIS IS JUST THE TEASER PLS IDK WHAT IM DOING LOL KSJDBFKSJDBA PLS BE EASY ON MY THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WRITING


	2. Today is the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is the start of the last spring semester for Junhui. It's also the day he gets his first mission as a Guardian.

Junhui’s figure tossed and turned in the slightly damp olive bedsheets. The bed isn’t too warm thanks to the cooling pad Junhui installed the night before, but he still feels gross. Junhui slowly takes his sheet off himself to cool his shirtless body. The sweat from sleeping with a cover gleans on his skin and makes him shiver when he feels the chilly blast from his desk fan on his body. Willing himself up, Junhui props himself on his headboard with a pillow to help his neck. He reaches for his phone on the oak nightstand, squinting to find it in the darkness.

He checks the time, Monday 7:00am on the dot, and puts the phone down. Today is the first day of his last semester of university and the Academy. Three and a half years have all culminated into what begins today.

Today, Junhui deals with that calculus class he put off until the last minute (why would a psychology major need calc anyway?). Today, Junhui toys with the emotions that come from looming graduations. And most importantly, today is the day he receives his first mission. As is tradition, students at the Lunar Guard Academy receive their first assignment on the first day of their last semester - the semester they begin proper field training and stop attending regular lectures at the Academy. Yes, today is the day Junhui takes the next step in becoming a full-fledged Guardian, continuing his life in service to the Moon. As the thought of receiving his first mission mulls in his head, Junhui feels queasy. Is he really ready to track and detain a threat to the Moon? Surely, he could use more training and wait another year. What if he fails and ends up hurting someone innocent? What if he detains the wrong person and must wipe their memory? What if –

“No.”

Junhui interrupted his anxious thoughts with a loud and resonate exclamation that brought him back to Earth.

“I am ready. This is what I am meant to do, and I am ready.” Junhui reassured himself.

Slowly swinging his legs to the side of his bed, Junhui slips into his black house shoes. Stumbling blindly to his desk to find his glasses, Junhui begins his day. He flicks on the light in the room, puts on his glasses and heads to the bathroom for his morning routine. Junhui checks himself out in the mirror, playfully flexing before showering. He takes a quick cool shower to get the sweat off and goes through this morning skincare regimen. He takes his new hairdryer and blasts the warm air through his chestnut hair. Finally, he puts in his contacts. Stepping out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, he hears a knock on the door.

“Hey Jun, you up? Don’t forget we need to have breakfast together today!”

It was Seungcheol, his roommate for the past three years. They have been sharing an apartment since Junhui moved out of the dorms his first year. That year was the same year Seungcheol agreed to be Junhui’s mentor. The two have been inseparable since that day and bring out the best in each other.

“Yea Cheol, I just finished showering, I’ll be out soon!”

They had a tradition of eating breakfast and dinner together at home at the start and end of every semester. Since they are both so busy, they make sure to fully enjoy their time together. Junhui really enjoys these meals with his mentor. Living together has its perks: cheaper food, cheaper rent, and quality time with his best friend and mentor. 

Junhui finished his dramatic application of lotion to his body and finally started to pick out an outfit.

“Do we want to be casual or dressy today?” Junhui asked himself.

As he continued to search for an outfit, he heard the sounds of Seungcheol starting to cook breakfast. Seungcheol’s cooking was, in Junhui’s very objective opinion, the best thing on the fucking planet. Junhui finally settles on a pair of black skinny jeans, a white hoodie and black blazer - casual but still a statement. In his carefully chosen outfit, Junhui quickly left his room for breakfast.

“Wow that is…quite the look”, Seungcheol chuckled.

“I wanted to do something a little extra for my last first day”, Junhui huffed defensively.

“Aww my baby is growing up”, Seungcheol cooed.

“HEY that’s some big talk from you Mr. Jun lay on the couch with me I miss you”, Junhui retorted.

They both erupted in laughter. Junhui loves moments like this. Moments where he and his roommate laughed without a care in the world. Would he still have these moments after he receives his mission today? Anxious thoughts began swirling in his mind.

Junhui's laughter is soon replaced by silence as his head fills with thoughts of his mission and how it would change his life. Once he accepts his first mission, Junhui is an official Guardian for life.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Seungcheol asked softly.

“N-nothing, I’m fine.” Junhui said with a fake smile.

“Oh, come on, we have been living together for 3 years, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying to me?”

Damn Choi Seungcheol.

“Is it your mission? Are you nervous about the first assignment?” Seungcheol asked in a fatherly manner. He was very good at talking in such a way that Junhui instantly felt comforted.

“Yeah, kinda. I’m more worried about what accepting the first mission means” Junhui admitted.

While he did he think he was ready to accept his mission, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the changes to his daily life. He would have to spend the rest of the semester tracking his target. He’d have to detain his target by the end of the semester. If he failed, he wouldn’t be able to graduate and would be deemed unfit to work in the field. All this while still trying to graduate from university. Junhui was't sure he could handle it all. Seungcheol just nodded in understanding.

“Jun, you are at the top of your class. In fact, you are probably one of the best the Academy has seen in a long time.” Seungcheol offered his words of encouragement to try to shake Junhui’s anxiety. “You are resilient and you will be able to complete your mission by the end of the semester and still graduate from uni.”

Seungcheol words calmed Junhui’s heart. He felt himself relax and breathe again.

“Besides, you have me as your mentor!” Seungcheol beamed.

Junhui couldn’t help but crack a smile. This was exactly the reinforcement he needed. Having Seungcheol is a blessing Junhui felt he didn't deserve. How was he lucky enough to get paired with him? Seungcheol was a prodigy at the Academy. He graduated two years early, something accomplished only three times in the one-hundred-year history of the Academy. Seungcheol didn’t like bragging about it, but he has had more high-level missions in his three years of working as Guardian than some of the instructors have seen in their entire career.

“Seungcheol do you know much I love you? Thank you. Like, seriously, thank you, for everything you’ve done for me”, Junhui confessed. He doesn’t usually explicitly show affection like this, so it caught Seungcheol by surprise.

“O-oh, yeah, of course dude. Let’s finish our breakfast!” Seungcheol was blushing with a hand rubbing the back of his head to try to play off his embarrassment.

Their food had gone cold by the time they returned to their breakfast. Jun started poking at his cold eggs wondering how cold eggs taste.

“I’ll just pop them in the microwave real quick”, Seungcheol suggested, “I can’t stand cold eggs.”

They ate the rest of their breakfast enjoying each other’s company. Junhui’s alarm went off just as he was washing his plate.

“Oh damn, it’s already 8:30, I should get going” Junhui gasped. “I really don’t want to be late for calc, I need a seat in the back so I can nap.”

Junhui grabbed his teal lanyard with the letters “LGA” embroidered on them. It was the lanyard given to him on his first day at the Academy. Quickly putting on his boots, Junhui rushed out the door with a quick wave to Seungcheol. He ran to the bus stop, put in his earbuds and checked his watch. He made it just in time.

 _Today is going to be great,_ Junhui thought. As he sat on the bench, he saw a raven-haired boy, about a year younger than him already sitting on the bench. He also had earbuds in, so Junhui gave him a quick smile and sat down. Junhui started scrolling through his social media, eager to start his day at school. The raven-haired boy simply looked at him and scoffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im literally posting this at 1 in the morning and wasnt beta'd so pls ignore mistakes lol  
> i'm still learning~
> 
> you can find me on twitter @moonlithao, I have a thread going where I introduce the characters.
> 
> feel free to send me feedback, this is my first work and i would love to improve!
> 
> thanks for reading~


	3. Today ain't It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minghao starts his day rather rough, and is just peachy about starting school again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i didnt beta this, i will do that when i'm not yawning every two seconds

Minghao loves sleeping in total darkness, much to the chagrin of his roommate, Mingyu. Mingyu loves seeing the night sky as he falls asleep while Minghao would rather embrace the space that comes with the dark. They have bumped heads over it before, but since Minghao uses the top bunk, he isn’t too bothered by the light that usually leaks in.

Today, he hated the light.

Mingyu had left their curtain open last night, so as morning came, the sun’s warm rays poured into the room. Normally, this wasn’t a problem, the sun would not be intense enough to bother Minghao. But its springtime, the sun is much brighter much earlier. Minghao feels the heat from the sunlight prickle his face. He tosses around in bed to cover his face, only to have Mingyu bump his bed.

 _Why the hell is Mingyu already awake?_ Minghao thought. It’s not like him to be up so early.

Minghao feels his bed bump again. He decides to flop over and pretend to keep sleeping - today is not the day to wake up early.

Another bump.

Mingyu’s hoarse morning voice pierces the silence of the room. “Hao.”

Another bump, this time enough to hear Minghao’s bed creak from the stress of Mingyu’s push.

“Hao.” Mingyu repeated.

Maybe if he pretended to be dead, Mingyu would give up and let him sleep.

“HAO!”

With a final kick from Mingyu, Minghao is almost thrown off his bed. Minghao finally leaves the cover of his blanket to peer down at the bottom bunk.

“Mingyu, what the fuck? I’m trying to sleep.” Minghao spits. His voice is groggy and tinged with annoyance.

“Sorry bud, but you can’t sleep in today. It’s the first day of spring semester.”

Minghao lets out a long sigh at the revelation. Today is the start of yet another damn semester at this university. Today is the start of another semester spent trying to destroy what took his childhood.

Minghao’s thoughts are interrupted by a loud and obnoxious yawn from Mingyu.

“Can you yawn any louder?” Minghao hissed.

“Sorry dude, I just gotta get it out. I’ll hit the shower first.” Mingyu said with a shrug.

Mingyu grabbed the first pair of boxers from his drawer and headed to the bathroom. Minghao sighs and sits up in his bed. He begins to stretch until his eyes fall onto a small black notebook poking from under his pillow. He reaches for his journal and opens it to the latest entry. Just as he began to delve into his written thoughts, a powerful buzz came from his phone. At first, Minghao ignores it, but a barrage of buzzes changes his mind. With a groan Minghao checks his phone. Seventeen messages and two missed calls from Seokmin. Minghao starts scrolling through the texts from his other roommate.

**Seokmin: Hao, are you up?**

**Seokmin: Is Mingyu up?**

**Seokmin: Don’t forget today is the first day of the new semester :D**

**Seokmin: I’ll start on breakfast, hurry and come out!**

Minghao puts his phone down with a sigh. He loves Seokmin to death, but it really is too early for this shit. Granted, Seokmin is the only reason why their apartment hadn’t gone up in flames, but he tends to dote a little too much sometimes. Minghao hears the water shut off in the bathroom and decides to leave his warm cocoon and start looking for a fresh pair of boxers. Still being a bit groggy, Minghao slips on the ladder and falls to the ground.

“God damn it”, Minghao curses.

He slowly picks himself up and sits against Mingyu’s bed. Mingyu walks out of the bathroom with nothing but a low-hanging towel around his waist. 

“What the hell was that sound?” Mingyu asked with a small smile.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Minghao answers rather hurriedly. He storms off to the bathroom for a quick shower. He places his clothes on the counter and starts running the water to let it warm. Minghao checks himself in the mirror, dragging his fingers across his jaw. He tugged at his hair noticing how long it’s gotten.

 _Maybe it’s time for a haircut_ , Minghao thought. He stepped into the warm shower and let the water relax his muscles. He was still rather stiff from staying up so late the night before, and the water was doing wonders for his body.

Twenty minutes later, Minghao is getting dressed when he hears a knock on his door.

“Hao?”

Seokmin had come to hurry him. He opened Minghao’s door slowly out of respect, and peaked his head in.

“Hey Hao, Mingyu and I are waiting on you for breakfast, hurry up will you?”

He left as quickly as he came. Minghao pulled on his black hoodie and took a long look in the mirror. Today’s outfit is casual student. An oversized black hoodie, dark denim skinny jeans, and his favorite chunky sneakers. Huffing with a sense of satisfaction, Minghao heads to the kitchen.

“About damn time Minghao. The food is gonna get cold!” Mingyu blurts. He donned a look of worry over his now lukewarm omelet and started eating.

“Sorry, I’m not really looking forward to today.” Minghao responds. In reality, he was dreading today. Another semester at this hellhole of a school, another semester of searching for an answer to his deepest desire – destroying the Moon.

“Just hurry and eat, you can’t be late for the first day of lecture.” Seokmin urged. His tone was almost father-like. Minghao feels a little touched.

“Econ is boring as hell, I’d rather sleep in my bed than those damn seats in the lecture hall.”

Minghao is the only one of the trio to have early classes. He had shit luck when it came to enrollment and ended up with a less than ideal schedule. The other two were only awake for moral support, just as they had been doing for the past two years. They met their freshman year when Minghao was walking through the historical section at the library. They were all looking for the same book and after some arguing decided to share the book. The rest is history. They have been his best support system for school, life, and his cold hatred of the Moon. Minghao hasn’t really opened to them about the reason for his hatred, but Seokmin was the one to tell him about the Guardians – the bastards that stole his old life.

“Alright, well, it’s getting late. Hao, you should hurry and catch your bus. Mingyu and I will catch the later one after we clean up.”

Bless Seokmin.

Mingyu came up and put a hand on Minghao's shouler.

"Yeah, we'll catch up with you in the library after lunch, I know you'll be pouring over those books on the Moon again."

Grateful for his two roomates, Minghao finally stands and looks for his backpack in the living room. He picks it up, throws his scattered notebooks into it, and heads out. He shivers as he waves goodbye to his roommates and shuts the door. Taking a look at his watch, he starts lightly jogging to not miss the bus. His apartment building is not the best maintained, meaning cracks and holes are abundant on the ground. Today happened to be one of the days he trips on one.

“Fuck!” Minghao wheezes as he catches himself from falling.

“What a great way to start the day”, he says to himself, continuing his jog to the bus stop. He arrives to an empty bus stop and plops on the bench. Taking another look at his watch, he puts his earbuds in to blast some music. About two minutes later, Minghao spots someone running towards him. The man gives him a quick smile and sits down next him. Minghao looks him over and scoffs, how is this guy so happy at 8:45 in the morning? Minghao goes back to scrolling through his social media. As the bus approaches, Minghao gets up first and puts his phone away.

 _Today is going to be a long day_ , he thought, sighing loudly as he entered the bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol i wanted to try to juxtapose their two days to set the scene of their characters. i think it kinda worked?? maybe not lol
> 
> you can find me on twitter @moonlithao, I have a thread going where I introduce the characters.
> 
> feel free to send me feedback on twitter or drop a comment, this is my first work and i would love to improve!
> 
> thanks for reading~


	4. Not the Best Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junhui's day at his regular classes doesn't go how he expected. He sees a familiar face and feels that his adventure is only starting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry I haven't updated but i've had writers block. I havent beta'd this yet so pls be forgiving ><

Junhui was nervous the entire bus ride to school. His mind was preoccupied with the idea of attending the Academy in the afternoon.

 _I just hope this day goes by fast,_ Junhui thought. He didn’t really want the day to speed by; more,he wished it would be long enough that he wouldn’t have to go to the Academy.

Though he wasn’t dreading the day, and Seungcheol calmed him down quite a bit, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of nervousness.

Before he knew it, the bus driver was announcing his stop. As he exited the bus, he noticed the raven-haired boy from his bus stop earlier. He looked rather annoyed at the crowd of people outside the bus.

_I wonder why he scoffed earlier. I hope he has a good day today; we all need some good days._

Without a second thought, Junhui gave the boy a quick smile and wave.

“Have a good day!” Junhui beamed as he exited the bus. He saw the raven-haired boy’s face hesitate before a quick reply.

“Thanks. You too.”

His reply was short and sweet, but Junhui thought it was enough. He left with another quick wave before dashing out the door and onto the sidewalk. Taking a deep breath, Junhui began the walk to his university. The bus actually had a stop closer to the entrance, but he enjoyed the walk before the chaos that is his school. It was his small piece of peace.

As he ascended the stairs to the small park between him and his school, Junhui noticed a few kids playing around. He smiled, reminiscing about how he used to play in the park as a kid. The late nights with the moon shining beautifully over him and his friends as they caught fireflies and took small camping trips in the park outside his home. Those nights are the reason why he was so honored to be a Guardian. He felt so safe and free in the moonlight and he would do anything to ensure everyone had the chance to enjoy what he did.

Getting lost in his thoughts, Junhui stumbled into a younger boy with a pronounced jaw and a stature on the…smaller side. The boy caught him right before he tripped, almost going down with him, but giggling at the sight.

“Oh, hi Chan!” Junhui heaved, catching his breath from his brush with death.

“Hi Junhui! You ok!?” Chan asked, almost too excitedly.

Lee Chan is a first year at the university and the Academy. Junhui learned about him as the instructors praised his prodigy-like command of magic. Junhui learned quickly that this Lee Chan has a penchant for interacting with the upperclassmen. Junhui was no exception. To Chan, Junhui was an idol.

“I’m ok, sorry for bumping into you. Are you hurt?” Junhui asks. Considering the size difference, he was surprised that Chan was able to catch him so fast.

“I’m totally fine! Not a scratch!” Chan reassured. He looked a little too excited for someone who just cushioned someone’s fall.

“Are you headed to class Junhui? I’ll walk with you!” Chan exclaimed, inviting himself on Junhui’s walk.

Junhui couldn’t help but smile at the younger boy. He had that little brother aura, and Junhui felt the need to protect him. They began walking towards the university once again.

“Sure, I’m headed to the math building. Finally have to take that damn calc class.” Junhui sighed.

Chan’s face lit up.

“Oh my gosh I have calculus right now too! Oh man, we can be study buddies! Would you wanna be study buddies? You could come to my dorm and I can bring snacks and we can make it a small party when we do homework! I’ll have to ask my roommate but he’s a Guardian too so he I’m sure he wouldn’t mind having you over. I mean, you are THE Wen Junhui after all”

Junhui blushed at the compliment. He had to admit, the kid was cute. He laughed to himself realizing that he would be sharing a classroom with a few first years. Given that he pushed calculus to the last possible minute, he figured it would be a mixed class, but he didn't expect to be asked to study by a freshman. Though he was sure his friends would tease him for pairing with a freshman, he needed the help to get through what was going to be the worst class he had to take. Plus, free snacks.

“I’d love to be study buddies. I need a way to survive this awful class.” Junhui smiled at Chan as they kept walking, the math building coming into view.

“What do you mean awful? Math is like, so fun. I mean, not as fun as chemistry, or weapon training, but still, you should appreciate the art that is math.”

Junhui let out an audible gasp as he stared at Chan in horror. Math was definitely not fun and not art and he hates it with a passion. Junhui stopped himself from hollering when he saw how happy Chan was to talk about math. Junhui decided to instead offer a smile.

“Alright Chan, I’ll take your word for it. Let’s hurry before we’re late!”

They walked into the building and Junhui breathed a sigh of relief as he finally started his school day.

* * *

Six hours later, Junhui finally finished his regular classes. He ended up having lunch with Chan and his friend, Seokmin, whom Junhui recognized from one of his classes. It turned out that Seokmin knew about magic and could even use basic spells despite not being a Guardian. Junhui had never met a magic wielder who wasn’t a Guardian. He wanted to get to know Seokmin better.

Junhui checked his watch – 4pm. He had about an hour before his first class at the Academy. Normally, classes at the Academy are held in the late evenings through the night to teach Guardians how to harness power from the Moon. Seniors, however, are required to be able to use powers from the Moon during the day, so Junhui had early classes to practice this. Junhui had been able to use his Guardian abilities during the day since the end of his second year, so he wasn’t too worried. In fact, he appreciated these earlier classes since it meant he could be home earlier.

A grumble in his stomach brought Junhui to a small street vendor just outside his university. He had decided to take another walk to kill some time, but hunger was a thing, and Junhui preferred the street food here to the weird dinners at the Academy. As he approached the vendor, he recognized a raven head of hair in the line. It was the boy from the morning. He wondered how many times he had seen him today. Junhui began to approach him to say hi when the boy looked up from his phone and locked eyes with him.

“Are you like, following me or something?” The boy asked in a monotone voice.

Junhui was completely taken aback from the sudden confrontation. He stuttered as he tried to answer him.

“U-uh-uhm. N-no. I’m sorry, I-I just recognized you from the bus and I wanted to say hi. I didn’t mean to come off as creepy.”

Junhui had never been so embarrassed or confused. Was he being creepy? He thought he was just being friendly. He felt his face warm up.

“Uh, ok then. Just try to not to appear wherever I go, I guess. I've seen you way too many times to be a coincidence, and I don’t really need someone following me right now.”

The raven-haired boy spoke again in that monotone voice. Now that Junhui had had time to process, he realized the boy's voice was rather high pitched for someone who looked so...dark. Junhui let out a grumble of words to answer the boy.

“Yeah, I’m-uhm-sorry. I promise I’m not following you. M-my name is Junhui by the way.”

Junhui was so ashamed of himself for being so shaky.

“Alright then, Jun.” The boy left without sharing his name.

Junhui shook himself out of his embarrassment as the boy left. His shaking turned to annoyance. The boy couldn’t even bother sharing his name? And what's with calling him Jun? They didn't know each other, why is he using such a nickname?

Before he could delve deeper into this thoughts, Junhui’s stomach growled again. He looked at the vendor who just looked at him like a lost puppy.

 _Damn. What the hell just happened,_ Junhui thought.

He ordered his food and sat on a bench, pondering what had just happened. This day has really been a trip, and it was only half over. Still, Junhui couldn’t shake the feeling that he would be seeing more of the raven-haired boy this year. Something tells him that he was meant to see him as often as he did. Whether it was good or bad, Junhui did not know, but he didn’t dwell too long.

He finished his meal and began the short walk back to the main gate of the university. Walking towards one of the pillars, Junhui spoke the incantation that granted him entrance to the Lunar Guard Academy. He looked in awe as an aura of magic filled the space between the pillars, creating the entrance to the Academy. He walked through the gates, ready to begin his second round of classes. As he approached the entrance of the school, Junhui felt his stomach tighten. Suddenly, he felt light-headed and faint. He realized what going through those pearl white gates meant. It was time to receive his first mission. It was time to promise to devote the rest of his life to the service of the Moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAHHHHHHHH IM SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING, UNIVERSITY LIFE IS BUSY EVEN DURING QUARANTINE.
> 
> anyway, i felt like i kinda just drabbled with this but uh i felt like this was good for me to get back into the universe of the fic. 
> 
> as always, feel free to leave comments, or find me @moonlithao on twitter, i'd love some feedback. Writing my first pic is even more scary than I thought, but still, it's so fun. OKE BYE SEE YOU NEXT UPDATE I PROMISE TO BE BETTER.
> 
> PS if you wanna help me tag this I would really appreciate it :')))


	5. A Turn of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling the rush of excitement, Junhui and his classmates hurriedly opened their folders. On the first page, Junhui found scores of his assessments from the prior semester and his own profile. Choosing to look at them later, Junhui continued to flip though the pages until he got to his mission brief. A simple directive was typed at the top of the page:
> 
> Find and detain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS D-DAY
> 
> always on brand, i havent beta'd this

The pearl white doors of the main office stood with a sheen glimmer in the afternoon sun. The reflection of the light perfectly captured the beauty of the Academy campus; the iridescence of the gates and main building truly created a feeling of the Moon on Earth. Normally, Junhui would stand in awe of the beauty of the campus, but today he stood in place, immobilized by anxiety. Junhui suddenly felt his nervousness and worries from this morning bubble up inside him. Even with a whole day to prepare, Junhui was still not ready for the life waiting for him beyond those doors. His thoughts were interrupted by a ding from his phone.

**Cheolie: Hey Jun! I know its almost time for the ceremony so good luck!**

**Cheolie: You know im always here for u**

**Cheolie: <3**

**Cheolie: say it back!**

Junhui chuckled at the messages from his roommate. Reading his messages slowed Junhui’s heartbeat. He felt himself breathe normally again.

_He always did have impeccable timing_ , Junhui thought.

**Me: I love you Cheol <3**

Junhui could feel the tightness leave his body as he sent his reply, finally being able to look up at the building without wanting to yak. He put in phone back in his pocket as he headed towards the door to the main building.

_This is it. This is where I finally start._

The interior main office is the same color as the outside, a shimmery pearl white with grey and silver accents. Junhui has always appreciated the aesthetics of the Academy. It captured the shimmer and glistening of the Moon and put it into a building. He saw the assistant director at the front desk, staring a long list of names and tables. Normally, the secretary is at this seat, but the assistant director always insisted on being the one to welcome seniors for their last semester. He has always been kind and supportive of Junhui.

“Hello Assistant Director Kwak”, Junhui said as he walked to to the desk. The assistant director looked up from his pile of paperwork to Junhui. He smiled as he recognized his favorite senior.

“Junhui! How are you? And please, I already told you to just call me Aron.”

The assistant director hated the formal titles around his name and preferred to just use his first name with his students. Junhui had struggled with this since his first year; it just felt so weird to call a member of the faculty by their first name.

“Oh, uhm, im doing ok Assist – Aron. Just, you know, nervous about today.” Junhui said, looking to the floor. Aron looked at Junhui and spoke softly.

“Ah, yes. It is a big change. I remember my ceremony day. I almost quit because I was not ready to commit for life, I wanted to experience so much more before dedicating my life to the Moon and the Academy. I was only 21, I wanted to see the world.” Aron looked out the window, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He looked back to Junhui who kept his gaze low and his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Junhui, it’ll be fine. I know you are ready for this. You’ve put in so much time and dedication that it’s obvious that this is what you want. We are all here to support you. You are going to make a fine Guardian”

Aron’s soft words soothed the tension in Junhui’s hands, unclenching the fists hidden in his pocket. He felt himself exhale – he didn’t even realize he was holding his breath.

“Thank you, Aron. Really. It means a lot.”

Junhui looked up from the ground to meet Aron’s smile. Feeling reassured, he returned the smile.

“Right, now let me find your schedule”, Aron mumbled as he searched his pile of papers. He found a blue slip of paper with Junhui’s photo.

“Ah, here it is.” Aron said as he handed the schedule to Junhui. Junhui looked it over and a wave of relief washed over him. He had advanced applied magic theory first, followed by weapons training and ending his day with surveillance tactics and applications. It was a light schedule, a blessing for his last semester. The classes were meant to set him up to start his mission as they would be critical in performing his duties. Most of his learning would come from his own work on completing his mission. The only class Junhui really felt worried about was surveillance since that is where he would be out in the training grounds with all the other seniors, training in stealth and reconnaissance among fellow Guardians.

“Seems like a doable load” Junhui remarked. Aron nodded in agreement.

“Yep, you completed most of your requirements early, so you get to take a step back for your last semester.” Aron took a quick look at the clock, realizing the time.

“Oh my, it’s almost time for the ceremony. Shall we get going?” Aron stood and gestured to Junhui. He followed the assistant director to the hall, down the corridor, and out to the courtyard.

The courtyard was full of life, decorated all over in preparation for the ceremony. There were silver coated streamers, shimmering lunar rocks, small light orbs conjured up to softly illuminate the stage, and a pearly carpet spread from the stage to the back of the courtyard. The instructors were dressed in all their regalia, beginning to line the front of the stage to welcome the seniors. Junhui saw his classmates shuffle into the courtyard, some eager to receiver their missions, others ready to faint from nerves. Junhui giggled to himself, finding solace in the shared nervousness of his classmates.

Eventually, everyone had gathered into the courtyard. The Director of the Lunar Guard Academy made his way to the stage, ready to start the ceremony.

“Welcome to your Attestation Ceremony, Guardians!” The director’s voiced bellowed throughout the courtyard.

“Today is the day you attest your commitment to a life in service to the Moon, and in return receive your first assignment!”

The crowd cheered, and then fell quiet. Junhui and his neighbors felt the exhilaration and fear that came with attestation. They watched the director finish his speech in silence.

One by one, each of Junhui’s classmates went up to pledge their allegiance and receive their first mission. Every person up meant one person closer to Junhui. Junhui felt his palms get sweaty and his mind started to race. Before he could allow himself to fall back into his anxiety, Junhui heard his name being called.

“Wen Junhui! Please approach the stage!”

Junhui slowly got up, sidling through the aisle to get to the stage. Once at the stage, he took a deep breath and approached the Director. Standing at the center of the stage behind his podium, the Director recited the attestation for Junhui.

“Wen Junhui, Guardian of the Moon. Do you attest your loyalty to the Moon through a lifetime of protection, service, and dedication?” The director looked Junhui in the eyes for a response. Gathering all his courage, Junhui responded firmly in agreement.

“I attest my loyalty to the Moon and swear to protect it and my fellow Guardians from all threats.”

He could feel his heartbeat in his ears by this point, but the director’s next words brought him to the brink.

“Do you therefore agree to accept this assignment and execute its directives as your first official service to the Moon?”

Flashes of Junhui’s years of schooling and his nights gazing up at the Moon, admiring its beauty, buzzed through his mind. Firming his resolve, tightening his clenched and sweating hands, Junhui agreed.

“I am honored to accept this assignment and will execute my duties as a Guardian of the Moon to the best of my abilities.”

The director nodded and handed a black folder to Junhui. Junhui took it, looked at the crowd and bowed. The crowd cheered, and he turned to meet the Director, who smiled softly at the now newly minted Guardian.

“Wen Junhui, we look forward to your service. Thank you.”

Junhui and the director bowed at each other before Junhui left the stage. Walking down the stairs, Junhui suddenly realized how shaky he was. He made his way back to his seat with the black folder on his lap. Slowing his breathing, he smiled at himself. He finally did it. He accepted the life he had always wanted.

The rest of the students went by faster than Junhui thought. Once the last student had their way back to their seat, the director asked all the students to stand. Slowly, all the students got to their feet. Once everyone was standing, the director spoke.

“Lunar Guard Academy, please welcome your next generations of Guardians!”

The faculty applauded and the lowerclassmen who had made their way to the back of the courtyard cheered. The seniors held their black folders in the sky, ready for the next step. The director began speaking again.

“Now, please take a seat and open your folders. Inside, you will find the details of your missions. These missions were assigned based on the assessments done by the faculty and were matched based on your ambitions. These missions are your main goal for the semester. You must successfully complete your mission to solidify your service to the Moon.”

Feeling the rush of excitement, Junhui and his classmates hurriedly opened their folders. On the first page, Junhui found scores of his assessments from the prior semester and his own profile. Choosing to look at them later, Junhui continued to flip though the pages until he got to his mission brief. A simple directive was typed at the top of the page:

**Find and detain.**

Junhui felt himself start to breathe faster. His first mission is a capture mission? There had to be a mistake, he’s not good enough for that. He kept reading, seeing the details and profile of his target.

_This guy really hates the Moon, I wonder what happened to him?_ Junhui thought.

He flipped the page to the photo of his target and felt his heart drop. The photo was of a boy only a year younger than him, with raven-hair and familiar, sad eyes. Junhui felt his throat tighten.

His target was the raven-haired boy from the bus stop. The same boy he had clumsily introduced himself to. The same boy who thought he was a stalker is the boy he now had to track and detain as a threat to the Moon. Junhui’s mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour.

_Oh fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOOOW 
> 
> sorry this chapter is hella long, i kinda wanted to finish this part of the story before i moved on. who knew world building took so much? hopefully it all makes sense.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are super appreciated! I am really getting into writing this world, and if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> and dont forget, black lives matter forever and always.


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